The 2010-11 NBA schedule was released Tuesday. Highlights for the Celtics include the season-opener vs. the new-look Heat on Oct. 26 at TD Garden and a Christmas Day game at Orlando. The Celtics face off against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 30, in the fourth game of a five-game road trip. The teams have a rematch on Thursday night, Feb. 10.

The Celtics play at Miami on Nov. 11 and April 10, and host the Heat again on Feb. 13. Orlando comes in for a Martin Luther King Day game on Jan. 17 and returns on Feb. 6. The C’s also will be in action on New Year’s Eve, hosting Chris Paul and the Hornets.

Individual game tickets will go on sale Sept. 17, and some season tickets still remain along with premium seating and suite rentals.

According to a blog post at boston.com, the agent for Rasheed Wallace confirmed that the veteran plans to retire. New Celtic Shaquille O’Neal fueled speculation that Wallace might change his mind and play in 2010-11, but apparently the persuading from Shaq and fellow Celtics newcomer Jermaine O’Neal did not work.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge reportedly has been using Wallace’s contract as trade bait, as Ainge has said all along that Wallace would not return to the team.

Shaquille O’Neal took to his Twitter feed to lash out at ESPN’s Jim Rome, challenging the talk show host to a boxing match and offering to donate his salary to charity should he lose.

On “Rome is Burning” Wednesday, Rome said the Celtics should not sign the free agent center, insisting O’Neal had not lived up to expectations in his long career that included three championships with the Lakers. Added Rome: “[Shaq] never approached the game with the dedication and discipline of Kobe Bryant,” the former teammate with whom O’Neal had a public feud.

In his response, mixed in among insults, O’Neal challenged Rome to a boxing match at the ESPN studios.

Tweeted Shaq:

Those that dnt respect your hard work, its ok, make em respect u as a person.

If u wanna see shaq box jim rome live on espn. I do if he wins ill donate my salary to a charity of his choice

And forget the back and forth jim rome, I challenge u to a boxing match, live at espn studios, show the world if u can bak up the tuff talk

Jim rome, I am happy with my career and the legacy that I have left behind, obviously u r not happy wit yur legacy I 4got u have no legacy about

Mannix said it’s a one-year deal for the veteran minimum ‘ approximately $1.4 million ‘ with a second-year player option. “This was not an easy decision for either side,” Mannix said, adding, “Shaq is obviously taking a monster pay cut. … It’s a huge, huge pay cut for this guy to play for this team and to accept a reserve role, coming off the bench.

“And for the Celtics, I can tell you this much, it was not a unanimous decision. This is not something that the entire front office and coaching staff entirely agreed upon. But it is a Danny Ainge type of move. He’s taken risks like this in the past, whether it’s Gary Payton or Stephon Marbury or Nate Robinson this past year. He’s taken chances on guys he thinks can help put them over the top. Danny obviously is convinced that Shaq is what this team needs right now.”

Asked if it was Shaq’s off-court distractions or on-court issues that made the Celtics hesitate, Mannix said: “It’s a little bit of a blend of both, but I think you’d have to start with the on-the-court problems. He is the worst pick-and-roll defender of all-time. He really is. He’s just a horrible, horrible guy when you’re coming off blitzing those screens. AndKendrick Perkins was one of the better pick-and-roll defenders on this Celtics team. This whole defense that Tom Thibodeau put together, and Kevin Garnettglued together, was based on effective pick-and-roll defense.

“It’s going to be incumbent now on Doc Rivers, and to a certain degree Lawrence Frank, who is essentially taking over that Tom Thibodeau role, to redesign the defense. They’re going to have to come up with something almost entirely new when Shaq’s on the floor. Because think about it: The two teams standing in Boston’s path are really Orlando and Miami, and those teams are going to run pick and roll all day long.”

Mannix also noted how Shaq often was in the way of Steve Nash when they were teammates in Phoenix. “Rajon Rondo is going to have similar problems,” Mannix said. “Shaq is not a guy who is even remotely comfortable playing anywhere but six or seven feet away from the basket. So, that’s going to be a challenge for Doc Rivers and his coaching staff to figure that out as well.”

All that said, Mannix said he thinks the signing is a good one for the Celtics. “He instantly becomes the best rebounder you have out there,” Mannix said. “And I’m not worried about him bogging down the fast break. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Kendrick Perkins wasn’t exactly Brad Daugherty running the floor out there for the Celtics. I just think overall, he’s a solid fit.”

Added Mannix: “While I understand the risks ‘ and I think it’s a huge risk to a certain degree ‘ you’re not going to get by Miami, you’re not going to get by Orlando unless you make an upgrade. And Shaq, to me, was the best available upgrade out there.”

Asked about controversial guard Delonte West, Mannix said it makes sense for the Celtics to bring him in. West was waived by the Timberwolves this week following a trade from Cleveland. “I think they should [sign him],” Mannix said. “Delonte obviously is familiar with the system, familiar with Boston, familiar with some of the pieces that are in place there. And he’s a proven combo guard. Obviously, the personal problems he’s had off the floor have been well-documented. … But again, you’re talking about adding guys for the minimum salary. If Delonte doesn’t work out ‘ and I guess to a certain degree if Shaq doesn’t work out ‘ you can just waive these guys.”

According to multiple reports, the Celtics will open the 2010-11 season by hosting LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat in a matchup of Eastern Conference powers. The game, scheduled for Oct. 26, will be televised nationally on TNT. The NBA is scheduled to announce its opening week and Christmas Day schedules Tuesday night.

Former Celtics guard Eddie House has reached an agreement to join the revamped Heat lineup, House’s agent Mark Bartelstein told Yahoo! Sports. House was traded from the C’s to the Knicks for Nate Robinson last season. Bartelstein said this week that he had talked to the Celtics about the possibility of the 10-year veteran returning to Boston, but the sharpshooter will take his talents to Miami instead, agreeing to a two-year deal worth a reported $2.8 million.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he was “leaning heavily” toward taking a sabbatical after this past season, because he was “spent” after the draining campaign and he wanted to spend more time with his family.

In an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz at a high school tournament in Orlando where his son was playing, Rivers said of the Celtics’ injury plagued, up-and-down 2009-10 season: “It was just a tough year, literally a tough year.”

Despite the Celtics coming within a quarter of winning the NBA title, Rivers said after the season, “I was spent,” adding, “I was most likely leaning heavily the other way ‘ more because of [watching sons Austin and Spencer play].”

Rivers said when the season ended, he was “pretty much done, and Danny [Ainge] knew that.” He said he called coaching legends Pat Riley and Larry Brown for reassurance before committing to returning. “It was very helpful,” he said. “They’ve all been through it.”

Rivers said he consulted with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, then free agents, as well. “I wasn’t coming back unless they were coming back,” Rivers said. “I was first, and I thought that was important for them. We all talked. I can tell you that. I made sure. I knew they had to do their business. And Ray scared me a little bit with the money out there. They had said they were coming back and then you see what everyone was getting.”

Rivers signed for one year and still is considering a sabbatical as an option in the future.

“I’m just doing it year to year,” Rivers said. “Danny was great. [Co-owner] Wyc [Grousbeck] offered a long-term deal, but I didn’t think it was fair to them. I didn’t want to walk out of a contract.”